EBC Spring Lake Park Day 4: Sweet Home/Metal/Dio's; November 1st

Another great day in Haiti!

This morning, we started out at the Sweet Home orphanage where we had more time to spend with kids.  It was amazing.  The orphanage houses about 30 children and is building more space for another 50 children.  The kids were very energetic and happy to spend time with the team.  Activities ranged from coloring and blowing bubbles, playing tic tac toe and full-on soccer.  There even was a yoga session led by Elaine and Mary. 

After the orphanage, there was time to shop at the metal market.  A few of us let loose and emptied the wallet and purses – we’re talking about Bill, Dave, and Ellie of course.  It was incredible to see the workers as well.  Most are just building the metal art right on the ground – no bench, no chair, all by hand.  These people have a desire to work and it was great to support them today.  Many shop owners were pleased to see our willingness to spend. 

Last stop was Dio’s orphanage for special needs children.  It was very impressive to see the will of these kids despite their disabilities.  There were kids playing soccer in wheelchairs/walkers.  They were not going to let the fact they had deformed legs stop them.  The bubbles were a hit as well.  The children were quick to embrace us.  Their energy and laughter was contagious.  We all showed up wanting to show them love, but we felt like we got a lot more in return. 

We did have a special appearance from a snake.  One of the Haitian women cut the head off, and one of the Haitian men took the body and chased the most squeamish of us out of the courtyard.  They thought it was funny – well most of us thought it was too.  Overall, it was a fantastic day serving together at both orphanages.

During devo time we had the opportunity to share our words of the day:

Resilience (Bill)

Protection (Chloe)

Joy (Mary)

Will (Steve)

Thankful (Cindy)

Smile (Anna)

Growth (Chris)

Innocence (Merideth)

Flawless (Elaine)

Potential (Ellie)

Stillness (Andee)

Diverse (Stan)

Present (Callie)

Energetic (Abbie)

Happiness (Wayne)

Content (Jamie)

Connection (Dave)

EBC Spring Lake Park Day 3: Water Truck Day; Oct 31st

Today was water truck day, and we made three different stops in Cite Soleil.  We started off at District 17 near Hope School, and as we pulled up at least 20 kids ran up to the Tap-Tap chanting “Hey you!” They’ve learned that phrase in English, and they know that we will respond to them when they say it. They we were SO excited to see us and we were excited to see them too!  As we got off the Tap-Tap, they jumped into our arms.  Many kids in Cite Soleil are restavek children (a form of modern-day child slavery that persists in Haiti) and don’t necessarily get the love and affection they so crave. One of the most fulfilling parts of water truck day, aside from providing clean water to those who would otherwise not have access to it, is providing love and fun to kids that desperately need it.

The water truck holds around 500 gallons of water. Mostly children with some women gathered in a line with their buckets.  It’s interesting to look around and observe men simply watching the women and children maneuver the streets with these heavy buckets of water. Some of us held the children, some carried buckets and some worked the water hose. Many of did all three, sometimes at the same time which was a fun challenge. The buckets the Haitians brought were various shapes in sizes.  Some were shaped like gas cans, some were five gallon buckets and some were even shaped like kiddie pools. 

While the water trucks were re-filling between the first and second stop, we toured Hope School and Church.  Hope Church and Hope School were built on 40 feet of trash! Everyday 300 children go to Hope School who normally wouldn’t get an education. Healing Haiti is also building a clinic that will open by the end of this year.  The kids also have access to technology via storage pods that were brought in from Minnesota and stocked with iPads, drones, and even robotics equipment. Some kids are afraid of the technology and some are so blown away by it that they’ve tried breaking iPads open to see how they work! It’s so cool to see what has been done with what was formally a landfill. 

Another stop we made while the water truck refilled between the second and third stop was Fleri Farm in Cite Soliel.  Here they are growing crops such as plantains (can you believe that plantain trees only produce fruit one time and then they have to be cut down and new ones planted?!), papayas, sugar cane and even some pesto and citronella. Their goal is to develop farming strategy for the area so that they can share that with their Haitian neighbors in order to increase their growing potential, thus helping them boost the Haitian economy. Fleri Farm’s long-term goal is to be able to produce dried fruits and products that can be sold in other countries to generate income that will be solely invested back into the Haitian economy. Our tour guide said there is even talk about making a variation of sherbet someday to be sold in Haiti.

Our last water truck stop was near the ocean and there was a large pier that jutted out into the water. After we helped the Haitian children and women carry their water, we all went out to the pier. Lots of kids walked along with us and wanted to be carried by us. People were lining the pier with fishing nets and we saw them catch buckets of fish and also some squid which was really cool. We got to hang out, take a team photo, and reflect on how well we had worked as a team that day. It was incredible how a group of 17 people from so many different backgrounds came together to serve the people in Cite Soleil so well. God truly brought each of us here for a purpose and it was great to watch everyone fulfill it today.

EBC Spring Lake Park: Day 2 Photos

EBC Spring Lake Park: Day 2 "Stop for the One" October 30th

Our day started with a team devotional, titled ‘Stop for the one’ It was mostly about being present for every individual we encounter, rather jumping from child to child and person to person. Giving the entire moment to that individual.  This was a great reminder for the day that was planned.

Our first stop we were very fortunate to be able to go to Hope School in Cite Soleil. The story of the church and school itself is absolutely incredible and a miracle.  My previous trip here included a stop at the same school, the continued progress that this ministry is making in this area and with the school incredible. The care that this one building has, it’s clear the people have great pride in it.  They are currently in the process of adding a medical clinic to further expand in this area and to reach even more people.

When we arrived at the school it was a buzz with the energy from the kids, we could hear them chanting as we pulled into the compound.  Most of our members were quiet, and no one knew what to expect.  We slowly walked into the area where they hold church service, the kids started to move toward the door waving and smiling and spilling out to be picked up and held. Order was soon restored and we moved to the first classroom to work through a simple Bible lesson, as most of the kids are 3-5 year olds.  The verse we focused on was Jeremiah 1:5.  Before I formed you in your mother's womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.  We worked through a little skit to show the kids that no matter what physical attributes they had, (playing on the physical attributes we have) God made you and loves each one of you! 

We provided every child with a picture frame with the words ‘Jezi Renmen Mwen!’ Jesus Loves Me!  As the children in the first classroom started coloring and decorating their frame,  part of the team moved to the second room, to give the same lesson and skit.  A few stayed behind to help the kids color. As they finished, they moved outside and got their picture taken with a Polaroid type camera. When they returned back to the classroom, we taped their picture to their frame.  The JOY, pride and smiles these kids had with their project was so incredible to see.

We worked through five class rooms, and approximately 150 kids all completed the same activity.  The team did an amazing job adapting as needed and moved from room to room…being present in every situation.  It was controlled chaos, but so much fun.  After we got back on the tap-tap, everyone was in a much different mood and chatty as they shared each other’s experiences.

Our second stop was at Rebuild Globally, which is a company that employees about 20 people. They take discarded tires and other recyclables to create very nice items, such as sandals and handbags.  This was a nice brief opportunity for the members to shop, and visit a small business that is focused on recycling and cleaning the environment.

This afternoon, we visited two partner ministries… Home for the Sick & Dying and La Phare’s orphanage.

Since half of our group had been to the Home for Sick and Dying on previous trips, we decided to send primarily our first time trip goers to experience it. This home holds many babies and young children who are suffering from some illness or malnourishment.  With the devotional from the morning fresh in our minds we divided ourselves in to the four rooms, two people with babies under one year and two people with toddlers. We got there right as they were being fed for the afternoon. Most of us were handed bowls and spent time feeding the kids, others were given bottles for the baby kids. Many just wanted to be held. There was a line of chairs outside of one of the rooms,  facing the playground outside, filled with our team members and one (but often times more) kid sitting on their laps. We got to spend about two hours loving on these kids. It was an incredible experience.

The other half of our team traveled to La Phare’s orphanage to spend time with about 20 children. We did the same activity as earlier in the day, but these children were a little older and were amazingly well behaved. One special moment was having a conversation with a 14-year old boy who had two other brothers and two younger sisters in the orphanage. He knew enough broken English and we knew enough broken Creole to communicate, which was great. It was fun to see his excitement as we asked questions about his family but also his future. He hopes to be a basketball player (Michael Jordan is his favorite), or a builder of homes. The impact you can have on an individual is amazing when you just take time to be present and have a truly genuine conversation with someone.

Before this trip, we are often asked “what are you going to build in Haiti.” Most expect us to respond with homes or schools, but we are building relationships and confidence with these children who in many cases have been abandoned or forgotten. We cannot forget that God often places people in our path that he intends for us to uniquely intersect with. You may never know how impactful your prayer, your conversation, your smile, or lingering act of service will be on someone.

EBC Spring Lake Park: Day 2 "Good Morning"

Good morning from Haiti! Coffee is flowing freely this morning as most of the team was up to watch our first Haitian sunrise :)

Keeping our eyes open for what God has planned for us today!

EBC Spring Lake Park Day 1 (part 2): October 29th

Hello friends and family and greetings from the Healing Haiti guesthouse in Port Au Prince! After much anticipation, packing, and prayers, we arrived safely in Haiti this afternoon for our week long trip. After landing here, we squeezed our luggage (most of us like to think we are light packers...I think we’re wrong) and our group of 17 onto the tap tap for a (relatively) smooth ride to the guest house. We relaxed for a little bit before enjoying some Haitian style tacos together in the dining room. We’ve only had a few meetings to prepare together (and some of us met for the first time today) but it already feels like we’re becoming a family. It is so clear that God has specifically chosen each one of us and our special gifts to contribute to this team and serve on this trip. During devotional time after dinner, we had the opportunity to share our spiritual gifts and decompress on the balcony. We went over our game plan for tomorrow (tune in to the blog tomorrow night) and closed in a prayer led by Chloe. We are feeling inspired and encouraged by those of you at home who continue to pray for us. Tomorrow is a big day and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for our first full day of serving! 

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. - 1 Peter 3:8

Anna & Abbie

EBC Spring Lake Park Day 1: October 29th

Our team arrived on a staggered schedule, but everyone made it safely. There are 17 people in our group coming from a variety of states, including Massachusetts, Denver, Minnesota, Kentucky, and New Jersey.  The team brings a tremendous amount of experience both in life and mission work, and we will all learn from each other I am sure.  

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day where we start off at Hope School where we will be doing activities with 150 three and five year olds. The school is located in Cite Soleil which is one of the poorest parts of the Western Hemisphere. The afternoon we will split up with half the group going to the “Home for Sick & Dying Children,” where young children go for care. We will there to support staff and bring a moment of hope for these little ones. The other half of the group will be participating in another activity of service at a nearby orphanage. Looking forward to what God has in-store for us all!